THE scrapping of exams for Year One to Three pupils is a positive move, but lacks supporting policies, said an education expert.

The new policy came into effect with the opening of the 2019 academic year in January, but parents and teachers have been slow to adapt due to a lack of clear instruction and communication.

Education policy researcher Chen Ai Mei told The Malaysian Insight that a systematic education policy must be put in place as piecemeal policies would not have the desired outcomes in the long term.

A systemic education policy should also work at changing the mindsets of both educators and parents.

Chen said the ministry is putting the cart before the horse by simply abolishing exams without a grace period to allow for transition and adjustment.

She said developed countries, such as Finland and the United Kingdom, have done away with the exam policy, while Malaysia remains heavily exam-oriented.

“In fact, exams are only part of the assessment. But when you mention ‘exam’ in Malaysia, people don’t take it as an ‘assessment’, and both parents and children concentrate on the exam too much and ignore the real education.

“The essence is to inspire students. This includes developing their ability to interact with other children, living skills, and listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.”

In countries like Australia, she said, reading is inculcated in children as a hobby and goes beyond textbook materials needed to pass exams.

She said many educators in Malaysia lack the correct attitude, adding that the homework culture and teaching methods must also change.

As for parents, Chen said, they have to think about whether they would like their children to have a stress-based education, or learn instead from their surroundings and develop skills.

Having studied foreign education systems, she said, there are many ways of assessing a student besides exams.

‘Be patient’

Under the new policy, all assessments and tests are class-based with different levels of evaluation to determine students’ progress.

National Union of the Teaching Profession president Kamarozaman Abd Razak said parents are still adapting to the abolition of exams.

“As teachers, we hope that parents are not too test-oriented. They must be more patient in order to see the positive impact of this new way of education on children.

“If the teacher feels it is necessary, they can observe the progress of the students after passing a chapter, and the difficulty of the test will also be tailored according to individual students to determine progress.”

He said the new teaching methods place more emphasis on teaching students according to their ability, reducing pressure on students, and allowing them to explore different learning avenues and regain interest in learning, rather than blindly studying for exams.

He said there is no cause for parents to worry about their children’s academic performance, as they can go to the school anytime to check on the children’s progress.

Teachers, meanwhile, also need time to adapt and adjust after working their entire careers in a test-oriented system, he said. – March 27, 2019.